A new concept of the Toyota FT-86 debuted at the Geneva Motor. The Toyota FT-86 II concept sports coupe, after making its original debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show with the FT-86 concept, seems to be moving closer to an actual production model.

Little information and specs have been released about the redesigned FT-86 II concept. However, we do know that it will use a 2.0-liter, four cylinder boxer engine with power driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

A few major differences between the original FT-86 concept version and the latest FT-86 II concept are the larger rear window and front grille, a new front bumper with a string of LED daytime running lights, and a different rear bumper with larger dual tail pipes.

At last week’s Geneva Auto Show, Alfa Romeo unveiled the 4C concept coupe, that will likely be sold at U.S. dealerships paired with Fiat.

Similar to the 8C Competizione, the more compact 4C concept is smaller, built with carbon fiber and aluminum, and will weigh less than 1,800 pounds. The Alfa Romeo 4C will also feature a 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, 200-horsepower, rear-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, and a top speed of 155 mph.

A decade after the 2001 Microbus concept, Volkswagen has announced the new reinterpreted Volkswagen Bulli concept, that follows in the footsteps of the orginal Microbus. Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Bulli has a similar shape to the Microbus with plenty of interior space and measures in at 156 inches long, 68.4 inches wide and 66 inches tall. It will include a 113-horsepower electric motor supplied with energy from a lithium-ion battery pack allowing driving ranges of up to 186.4 miles. This zero emissions vehicle can also be recharged in less than an hour.

The six-seater interior of the Bulli is reminiscent of its ancestors, in that the seat system can be transformed into a large reclining surface. The outer and middle seats of the front bench can be folded down and the rear beach can be completely stowed to increase cargo room. The Bulli will also feature a removable Apple iPad “infotainment control” that controls the stereo, navigation, and Bluetooth.

Audi has released a few sketches of its A3 concept sedan version that is bound for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Audi describes the A3 concept as a “four-seater notchback sedan” that will measure 174.84 inches long (4.44 meters), which is about six inches longer that the current A3 model. The redesigned A3 also promises a little extra power and more premium features. The A3 concept car features a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder, 408-horsepower engine, a seven-speed S-tronic twin clutch transmission, Audi’s quattro AWD system, LED headlamps, a trapezoidal grille, and an arching roofline and low C-pillar for a coupe-like appearance.

Infiniti will be debuting their compact luxury concept car, the Etherea, at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March. Geared towards younger car buyers who are looking for a “new type of luxury”, the Etherea will take elements of a coupe, sedan, hatchback and crossover to create a car that is distinctly different from anything currently available in the luxury compact class.

The Etherea concept car features the crescent-shaped C-pillar from the Essence concept car, high-tech interpretations of traditional Japanese materials and finishes, a new mechanical layout and innovative access arrangements, making the 4.4m compact car feel spacious.

Nissan will unveil the new electric Esflow EV sports car concept at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, to demonstrate how a sports car of the future might look.

Nissan’s Esflow is based on the technology from their first practical Zero Emission car, the Nissan Leaf; however, the powertrain is tuned to offer a more sporty driving experience with rear-wheel drive and two motors. The two electric motors are positioned above the axis of the rear wheels to control the left and right wheels independently, producing optimized torque (60mph/100kph in under 5 seconds), vehicle stability, and efficient power regeneration. Like the Leaf, the motors will be powered by laminated lithium-ion battery packs, but will be situated low along the axis of the front and rear wheels, to help out the center of gravity, allowing the Esflow to travel over 150 miles (240km) on one charge.

The 2010 North American International Auto Show began in Detroit today, and the fanfare is high, but how journalists, consumers, and the market itself will receive the cars once they emerge from those huge cloth covers is still a big mystery, one that I bet automakers wish could be solved in 45 minutes, like on “CSI: Miami.” Instead, car makers have to wring their hands through a bunch of grouchy fiscal quarters. Since the NAIAS is already being covered like a Ferrari at a pig swap, I thought that looking at how one of last year’s offerings weathered its post-unveiling hoopla might make us better prognosticators on the subject, but to make it fun in these bleak times, I chose the designer that most said, “international intrigue,” that was most likely to end up in a high-speed chase, that most reminded me of “CSI: Miami.” I chose Henrik Fisker.

Former BMW designer and now CEO and lead designer of his own firm, Fisker Automotive, Henrik Fisker is just the kind of character on which they would base a murder victim on “CSI: Miami.” In the plot, a greedy rival steals blueprints, and the fictional Fisker is found face-down in wet clay, smothered in a model based on his own imagination. The script writers would have found inspiration while procrastinating on websites for high-end cars and running across this quote from Fisker, “”I enjoy being hands-on. Designing, of course, but also working with the modeler, smelling the clay, getting clay under my fingernails.” After reading Fisker’s real-life quote aloud in the opening scene, Lt. Horatio Caine (David Caruso) might then say, “He smelled the clay alright.” Cue: “Won’t get fooled again.”

Honda will reveal its P-NUT concept vehicle at the LA Motor Show in a few short days. Short for Personal-Neo Urban Transport, the P-NUT is described as a “futuristic concept for an ultra-compact, aggressively designed coupe”. Information surrounding this new concept vehicle has been kept on the down-low such that Honda has revealed no other details – and not a single teaser image – of its latest concept. Check back after December 2nd and I’ll post up photos of the P-NUT concept released from the show.

Honda says the P-NUT is a design study intended to peer 10 to 15 years into the future of urban transportation. The company says it studied what city-dwellers want in their vehicles, and the results guided this car’s styling and packaging. The concept is a three-passenger affair, with a center driving position flanked by two rear seats. The layout was guided, Honda says, by the fact that most urbanites drive alone or with a single passenger and the designers’ desire to create “mid-size seating room” in a so-called “ultra-compact” vehicle.

The super-short press release and photos from Honda are after the jump.

This video is a quick look at a new car and new tracks for Gran Turismo 5, featuring the Toyota FT-86 Concept car. The rear-wheel drive coupe that will be badged as a Toyota was co-developed with Subaru (who provides the engine) and will make its world debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The name FT-86 is a nod to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s. The production version of the 2+2 FT-86 sports coupe, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011. The engine is from Subaru and is a front-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, a naturally aspirated version of Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat flour normally found in the Impreza that Toyota will massage to boost output closer to 200 horsepower. This is the same engine that, when turbocharged, cranks out 250HP and is found in Subaru’s much loved WRX.

New York – The concept models of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car are appearing as part of the “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition at the world-famous “MoMA” showcases trailblazing innovations in the fields of design and science.

The “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is devoted to the dramatic changes in aspects of human life witnessed in recent decades. The series of exhibits highlights the rapid pace of development – in mobility and communications, for example – with the focus on innovative design solutions that take into account life’s quickly changing requirements. The exhibition will be open to the public from February 24 until May 12, 2008.